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, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. R. GREEN. BOOK SHELF AND ITS SUPPORT.

(No Model.)

Pa, tented Mar. 20, 1894.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. R. GREEN.

BOOK SHELF AND ITS SUPPORT. No. 516,734. Patented Mar. 20, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARD n. GREEN, oF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT on COLUMBIA.

BOOK-SHELF AND ITS SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,734, dated March 20, 1894.

Application filedOctober 11,1893- Serial'No. 487,813- (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that LBERNARD R. GREEN, of the city of Washington, in the District of Co lumbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Book-Shelves and their Supports, of which the following is a specifica- My invention relates to an improvement in book shelves and their supports with the object in view of rendering any one of a series of adjustable shelves readily removable without disturbing any of the others and at the same time supporting them in such a manner as to prevent tilting and unintentional displacement.

A practical embodiment of myinvention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which--- Figure 1 is a front View of a portion of a shelf range embodying my invention. Fig. 2

is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a View of a portion of the same in transverse vertical section, showing the end support in side elevation. Fig. 4 is a partial front elevation of a different form of end support. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section, showing an arrangement by which the shelf is prevented from displacement in a horizontal plane by ahutments at the front of the end supports instead of at the rear.

The particular form of shelf range which I have selected .to illustrate my invention is one in which several consecutive lengths of shelves are separated by end supports, but the application of my invention is not limited to such a structure but may be utilized as well in connection with a single series of shelves as in an ordinary book case. The end supports, as represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 8, may be formed of metal or other suitable material and are preferably made inskeleton form for lightness and to save material and to permit a free circulation of air through them. The two consecutive end supports, represented in Figs. 1 and 2, are represented respectively by A and A. At their front edges they are provided with a series of notches a for the reception of supporting lugs on the ends of the shelves and at or near their rear edges, preferably toward the front a short distance from the rear edge, they are provided with laterally projecting support ing lugs a, one for each supporting tooth or at the front edge. The notches ct extend horizontally across the front edges of the end supports to gain the full advantage of the thickness of the supports as a bearing. In case the end support A or A is at the end of the shelf range it will be provided with supporting lugs a on oneside only, viz that side toward the adjacent end support, but, where the said piece is located intermediate of two consecutive lengths of shelves, it will be provided with supporting lugs a extending in opposite directions from its opposite sides, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The shelf is preferably of the grid-iron type, consisting of a series of longitudinal bars B, connected at their ends by end bars b extending transversely thereto, and intermediateof their ends-where found neccessary connected by bridge pieces I). The grid-iron form of shelf permits a free circulation of air throughout the shelves and prevents the books from becoming moldy or damp and is also an advantage where the shelf is made of metal or other heavy material, in rendering the shelf light, and the space between the bars may also be utilized for securing a book support of approved form in position. The ends of the shelf are provided attheir front edges with supporting lugs C and O and at or near their rear edges with notches 0 adapted to re ceive the supporting lugs a on the end supports when the shelf is adjusted for use.

Where the end supports A, A, &c., are made of a single thickness of material, as in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I arrange the lugs O and C so that the lug O at .the front corner of one shelf will lap past the lug C on the front corner of the adjacent shelf, as clearly indicated in Fig.2. 1 also make the notches a for the reception of the lugs C, C of suflicient height to permit one of the lugs, C for example, to slide outwardly or inwardly over the top of or under the adjacent lug 0 into its position. The engagement of the notch a near the rear edge of the shelf with the lug a projecting from the side of the end support serves, when the ShGlfiSfldjllStr ed for use, to prevent the shelf from outward horizontal displacement, and when it is desired to remove the shelf, all that is required IOC is to elevate the rear portion of the shelf sufficient to free the notches c from the supporting lugs a and to lift the front portion of the shelf sufficient to free the overlapping lug at one end from the lug of the adjacent shelf in advance of it and then slide the shelf for wardly in a horizontal plane out of position and place it again in the same position as before or in position on an upper or lower tooth or lug by simply slidingit inwardly in a horizontal plane until its supporting notches and lugs rest on their seats.

Instead of making the end supportA or A of a single thickness of material, it may be formed of a double thickness of material, as indicated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in which case the material may be much thinner, sheet metal for example, and the two thicknesses may be separated at such a distance as to permit the front supporting lugs on two adjacent shelves to rest in alignment with each other, as shown in Fig. 4, instead of lapping past each other, as hereinabove referred to. The two thicknesses of material are represented respectively by D and D, the one D being provided with supporting lugs cl projecting from one of its sides, and the other D being provided with supporting lugs d projecting in an opposite direction from its side. The two half sections D, D may be conveniently united and spaced apart by girders E located at suitable intervals throughout their height and each half section may consist either of a single piece of material such, for example, as shown in Fig. 3 or of two vertical strips of material, one at the front, provided on its front edge with supporting teeth and notches, and the other at the rear, provided with lugs on its side as shown in Fig. 5. Orthere might be two vertical, toothed strips at the front as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and a single strip at the rear with lugs upon opposite sides after the manner of that shown in Fig. 1. In any event, when the girders E are fixed in position, the support becomes a rigid structure for the reception of the shelves.

It will be observed that by employing the two-part support and permitting the supporting lugs at the front of the shelf to rest in alignmentend to end, I am enabled to diminish the height of the notches aand hence make the adjustment of the shelves at lesser intervals throughout the height of the sup ports, than where the supporting lugs are arranged to lap past one another, for the reason that such end to end arrangement of lugs will not require the space for the passage of one lug over another into or out of its normal posit-ion.

In the structure represented in Fig. 6, I have shown the teeth fon the front of the supporting section F provided with abutments f at their front portions to prevent the forward displacement of the shelf independently of the supporting lugs near the rear of the shelf. In this structure I do away with the necessity of providing the ends of the shelf near their rear edges with notches a for the reception of the supporting lugs, the shelf in this instance being permitted to rest on the top of the lug.

In all of the forms shown, the shelf may be removed from and inserted into its position between the end supports,in a substantially horizontal plane without requiring it to be tilted endwise, the only movement out of its plane being the slight elevation of either the front or rear edge to free it, and, when in position, it is securely held against displacement either forwardly or rearwardly unless intentionally elevated from its seat. It w ll further be observed that it is supported at its extreme front edge, Where weight is liable to be more often applied, and any tendency to tilt is thereby completely avoided, and, by utilizing the front edges of the end supports as bearings, without any special additional reinforcing or thickening of the front edges, the bearing surface of the shelf is permitted to extend snugly up to the side of the end support, and the book at the extreme end of the shelf remains fully exposed at the front.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with end supports provided with shelf supporting seats in position to support a shelf at its front edge and to the rearward of its front edge, of a shelf provided with supporting bearings iixed relatively to the shelf and constructed to interlock with the supporting seats on the ends, the shelf being removable from between the end supports in a plane substantially parallel with its adjusted position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the supports provided with a series of shelf supporting seats at their front edges and with series of sup porting seats to the rear of their front edges, of a shelf provided at its ends with supporting bearings fixed relatively to theshelf and constructed to interlock with the supporting seats on the end supports to hold the shelf in removable adjustment, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with end supportsprovided with series of supporting seats attheir front edges and with supporting lugs extending laterally from their sides to the rear of their front edges, of a shelf provided at its front edges with supporting lugs adapted to enter from the front and rest on the seats at the front edges of the supports, the ends of the shelf to the rear of the front edges being adapted to rest on the said laterally extending lugs, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with end supports consisting of sections spaced apart and provided with shelf supporting seats on their front edges and supporting lugs extending laterally from the opposite sides of the sections, of a shelf provided with end lugs and bearings adapted to interlock with the end sup ports, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with end supports proadapted to enter from the front and rest on Vided with series of supporting seats at their the seats at the front edges .of the supports, front edges consisting of recesses formed in the ends of the body of the shelf to the rear the front edges of the supports and havinga of the front edges being constructed to rest 5 horizontal extension corresponding to the on the said lateral extending lugs, substan- 15 thickness of the end supports, said end suptially as set forth.

ports being further provided with supporting BERNARD R. GREEN. lugs extending laterally from their sides to Witnesses: the rear of their front edges, of a shelf pro- ED. SUTHERLAND,

\o Vided at its front edges with supporting lugs G. M. THOMAS. 

